Carry on Dancing
by Eridel
Summary: He stood by her grave now, clutching a single white rose in his hand." This is my first song fic. Well, it's pretty much my first fic in general. No angels, no demons, your basic AU ficlet.


Carry on Dancing  
  
  
  
*~*The moonlight shines down, interstellar beams  
And the groove tonight is something more than you've ever seen*~*  
  
  
  
He stood by her grave now, clutching a single white rose in his hand. For they had been her favorite, he remembered. So pure, so innocent; the white of a newborn lamb, or fresh-fallen snow. Rain plunged from the heavens, a merciless barrage. His hair was plastered to his head; light strands hung limp and lifeless across his brow. Yet he felt nothing. His eyes blurred; the stone before him phased in and out of focus. Rain, or...tears? No. He wasn't crying. How could he cry for one he barely even knew? No, he wasn't crying.  
...Was he?  
  
  
*~*The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late*~*  
  
  
The wind tugged at the flower, and a single white petal flew upwards, caught in the ruthless tempest. Instinctively, his hand gripped the rose tighter. A thorn pricked his flesh, and he flinched; even as he watched, a drop of blood welled up, soon dashed away by the raindrops, leaving a trail of red across his palm. Yes, there had been blood on his hands that night too. His eyes glazed as memories resurfaced. Yes, so much blood. In the night, his hands had been painted black. His blood? No. Not his.  
Hers.  
  
  
*~*In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing...*~*  
  
  
He hadn't meant for it to happen. If she just hadn't gotten in the way. If he had just known they were being followed. If...no. No more ifs. It was too late for that now. It was too late for that then. He hadn't wanted her to be hurt. He had never wanted her to have been hurt.   
  
  
*~*You're never safe 'till you see the dawn  
And if the clock strikes past midnight then hope is gone  
To move under the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing...*~*  
  
  
The storm howled around him, his own private hurricane, pitying him, condemning him. He had watched the scene unfold before him countless times, yet each time, his soul was crushed anew. It was late, and the streets were not a safe place after dark. He had wanted to walk her home. He had thought he could protect her.   
He had been wrong.  
Their shadows were thrown against the buildings as they had hurried down empty streets. Their only warning of their pursuer had been another black shape creeping up behind them. Even as he had turned, the silhouette of a gun had been splashed across the wall. He tried to move, but his legs were frozen. He tried to tell her to run, but his mouth was bolted shut.   
...Coward...  
  
  
*~*Move...  
Closer...  
Passion...  
Stronger...*~*  
  
  
A cry of denial rang out; hers, he realized, too late, again. Then she stood before him, her arms spread out in a desperate attempt to shield him. She was protecting him. Within seconds, their roles had been switched, and he stood petrified, watching. It was like a play, a horrible, maddening play. Time slowed to a crawl. The creature's finger was on the trigger, curving around it ever so slowly. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. He could do nothing but wait.  
Silence.  
  
  
  
*~*There's a magic only two can tell  
In the dark night, ultraviolet is a wicked spell*~*  
  
  
Crack! The sharp sound had pierced the air. She had jerked back; her knees began to buckle. His paralysis gone, he had reached forward and caught her, eased her to the ground. He stared at her, eyes wide, unseeing. Why hadn't it been him? It should have been him!   
He had told her to hold on. ~Not enough time!~ Help would be there soon. ~Too late!~   
His own legs folded up, and he knelt before the stone memorial. The rain-soaked grass chilled his knees; his face turned to the sky. His heart was a lump of ice in his chest. His eyes squeezed shut. He would not cry! The rose snapped, unheeded, in his clenched fist, and memory continued.  
  
  
*~*The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late*~*  
  
  
She had smiled up at him, even as her life drained away in his arms. Why did she smile? Because she had saved the one she loved? But what about me! he had thought as he held her tight, trying desperately to keep her with him. Who am I to save?   
  
  
*~*In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing...*~*  
  
  
Setsuna scrambled to his feet. His teeth were fixed in his lower lip, stifling the sobs that threatened to burst forth. He couldn't stay there any longer, or his very soul would be torn apart. Slowly, he dropped the broken rose from his hand. The shimmering blossom sank to the ground; a flash of silver on the burial ground. Holding back a pitiful whimper, he wrenched his eyes away, and turned his back on her grave.   
He knew that he could never bring her back; each step that carried him further away from her told him that he must accept it. And he would, eventually, but that last smile would stay would never fade away.  
Moments later, he had passed out of sight, and his beloved Sara's memorial stood alone upon the hilltop. A single flash of lightning silhouetted the angel perched atop her gravestone, and then all was black again.  
  
  
*~*Carry on, carry on dancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing...*~* 


End file.
